Weddell Sea Bottom Water Research Articles

Slowdown of Antarctic Bottom Water export driven by climatic wind and sea-ice changes

Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is pivotal for oceanic heat and carbon sequestrations on multidecadal to millennial timescales. The Weddell Sea contributes nearly a half of global AABW through Weddell Sea Deep Water and denser underlying Weddell Sea Bottom Water that form on the continental shelves via sea-ice production. Here we report an observed 30% reduction of Weddell Sea Bottom Water volume since 1992, with the largest decrease in the densest classes. This is probably driven by a multidecadal reduction in dense-water production over southern continental shelf associated with a >40% decline in the sea-ice formation rate. The ice production decrease is driven by northerly wind trend, related to a phase transition of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation since the early 1990s, superposed by Amundsen Sea Low intrinsic variability. These results reveal key influences on exported AABW to the Atlantic abyss and their sensitivity to large-scale, multidecadal climate variability.

Heat and carbon uptake in the Southern Ocean: the state of the art and future priorities.

Heat and carbon uptake in the Southern Ocean: the state of the art and future priorities.

The Deep‐Water Plume in the Northwestern Weddell Sea, Antarctica: Mean State, Seasonal Cycle and Interannual Variability Influenced by Climate Modes

AbstractWe provide an updated estimate of the annual‐mean, seasonal cycle and interannual variability of the transports and properties of the Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW) plume in the northwestern Weddell Sea. For this we used a densely instrumented mooring array deployed across the continental slope between January 2017 and January 2019. We found that the annual‐mean WSBW transport is 3.4 ± 1.5 Sv, corresponding to a cross‐section area of 35 km2 and a maximum thickness of 203 m. The annual mean transport‐weighted properties of WSBW are −0.99°C (Θ), 34.803 g/kg (SA) and 28.44 kg/m3 (γn). The WSBW is characterized by 3 bottom‐intensified velocity cores, which display seasonal variations in flow speed and transport different varieties of WSBW. The seasonal peak of WSBW transport and density is reached in May (4.7 Sv, 28.443 kg m−3) while the minimum values are observed in February (2.8 Sv, 28.435 kg m−3). The coldest WSBW is found between March and May, and the warmest between August and October. The density decrease of WSBW observed in the austral autumn of 2018 can be explained by warmer ambient waters being entrained during the formation of WSBW. This was enabled by the weakening of the along‐shore winds associated with a positive Southern Annular Mode index, reinforced by a La Niña event in early 2018. The synchronous decrease of total WSBW transport and volume between September 2018 and February 2019 indicates a reduction in the export of the dense precursors of WSBW from the Weddell Sea continental shelf.

Water masses in the Atlantic Ocean: characteristics and distributions

Abstract. A large number of water masses are presented in the Atlantic Ocean, and knowledge of their distributions and properties is important for understanding and monitoring of a range of oceanographic phenomena. The characteristics and distributions of water masses in biogeochemical space are useful for, in particular, chemical and biological oceanography to understand the origin and mixing history of water samples. Here, we define the characteristics of the major water masses in the Atlantic Ocean as source water types (SWTs) from their formation areas, and map out their distributions. The SWTs are described by six properties taken from the biased-adjusted Global Ocean Data Analysis Project version 2 (GLODAPv2) data product, including both conservative (conservative temperature and absolute salinity) and non-conservative (oxygen, silicate, phosphate and nitrate) properties. The distributions of these water masses are investigated with the use of the optimum multi-parameter (OMP) method and mapped out. The Atlantic Ocean is divided into four vertical layers by distinct neutral densities and four zonal layers to guide the identification and characterization. The water masses in the upper layer originate from wintertime subduction and are defined as central waters. Below the upper layer, the intermediate layer consists of three main water masses: Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW), Subarctic Intermediate Water (SAIW) and Mediterranean Water (MW). The North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW, divided into its upper and lower components) is the dominating water mass in the deep and overflow layer. The origin of both the upper and lower NADW is the Labrador Sea Water (LSW), the Iceland–Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW) and the Denmark Strait Overflow Water (DSOW). The Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is the only natural water mass in the bottom layer, and this water mass is redefined as Northeast Atlantic Bottom Water (NEABW) in the north of the Equator due to the change of key properties, especially silicate. Similar with NADW, two additional water masses, Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) and Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW), are defined in the Weddell Sea region in order to understand the origin of AABW.

Coherent Seasonal Acceleration of the Weddell Sea Boundary Current System Driven by Upstream Winds

AbstractThe Weddell Sea is of global importance in the formation of dense bottom waters associated with sea ice formation and ocean‐ice sheet interaction occurring on the shelf areas. In this context, the Weddell Sea boundary current system (BCS) presents a major conduit for transporting relatively warm water to the Weddell Sea ice shelves and for exporting some modified form of Wedell Sea deep and bottom waters into the open ocean. This study investigates the downstream evolution of the structure and the seasonality of the BCS along the Weddell Sea continental slope, combining ocean data collected for the past two decades at three study locations. The interannual‐mean geostrophic flow, which follows planetary potential vorticity contours, shifts from being surface intensified to bottom intensified along stream. The shift occurs due to the densification of water masses and the decreasing surface stress that occurs westward, toward the Antarctic Peninsula. A coherent along‐slope seasonal acceleration of the barotropic flow exists, with maximum speed in austral autumn and minimum speed in austral summer. The barotropic flow significantly contributes to the seasonal variability in bottom velocity along the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Our analysis suggests that the winds on the eastern/northeastern side of the gyre determines the seasonal acceleration of the barotropic flow. In turn, they might control the export of Weddell Sea Bottom Water on seasonal time scales. The processes controlling the baroclinic seasonality of the flow need further investigation.

Interannual Variability of the Outflow of Weddell Sea Bottom Water

AbstractThe Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW) export from 1999 to 2019 displays distinct seasonal and interannual variability. From 2014 into 2017 a marked salinity decrease was recorded, with the lowest salinity, 34.615, attained in early 2016. The reduced salinity is derived from the V‐shaped trough formed by a double front along the shelf break of the Weddell Gyre's western boundary, which is filled with a blend of surface water and modified Weddell Deep Water. We estimate that when the V‐shaped apex attains a depth of greater than ~700 m, the thermobaric effect promotes its descent into the WSBW. We propose that this occurred during anomalously strong cyclonic wind stress curl over the Weddell Gyre from 2014 into 2017, which increased the intensity of the gyre and its western boundary current, deepening the V‐shape trough. The WSBW salinity increased to its prior to 2014 values as the wind stress relaxed in 2018.

Warm Deep Water Variability During the Last Millennium in the CESM–LME: Pre-Industrial Scenario versus Late 20th Century Changes

Water transformation around Antarctica is recognized to significantly impact the climate. It is where the linkage between the upper and lower limbs of the Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC) takes place by means of dense water formation, which may be affected by rapid climate change. Simulation results from the Community Earth System Model Last Millennium Ensemble (CESM–LME) are used to investigate the Weddell Sea Warm Deep Water (WDW) evolution during the Last Millennium (LM). The WDW is the primary heat source for the Weddell Sea (WS) and accounts for 71% of the Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW), which is the regional variety of the Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW)—one of the densest water masses in the ocean bearing directly on the cold deep limb of the MOC. Earth System Models (ESMs) are known to misrepresent the deep layers of the ocean (below 2000 m), hence we aim at the upper component of the deep meridional overturning cell, i.e., the WDW. Salinity and temperature results from the CESM–LME from a transect crossing the WS are evaluated with the Optimum Multiparameter Analysis (OMP) water masses decomposition scheme. It is shown that, after a long–term cooling over the LM, a warming trend takes place at the surface waters in the WS during the 20th century, which is coherent with a global expression. The subsurface layers and. mainly. the WDW domain are subject to the same long–term cooling trend, which is decelerated after 1850 (instead of becoming warmer like the surface waters), probably due interactions with sea ice–insulated ambient waters. The evolution of this anomalous temperature pattern for the WS is clear throughout the three major LM climatic episodes: the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA), Little Ice Age (LIA) and late 20th century warming. Along with the continuous decline of WDW core temperatures, heat content in the water mass also decreases by 18.86%. OMP results indicate shoaling and shrinking of the WDW during the LM, with a ~6% decrease in its cross–sectional area. Although the AABW cannot be directly assessed from CESM–LME results, changes in the WDW structure and WS dynamics have the potential to influence the deep/bottom water formation processes and the global MOC.

The Neodymium Isotope Fingerprint of Adélie Coast Bottom Water

AbstractAdélie Land Bottom Water (ALBW), a variety of Antarctic Bottom Water formed off the Adélie Land coast of East Antarctica, ventilates the abyssal layers of the Australian sector of the Southern Ocean as well as the eastern Indian and Pacific Oceans. We present the first dissolved neodymium (Nd) isotope and concentration measurements for ALBW. The summertime signature of ALBW is characterized by εNd = −8.9, distinct from Ross Sea Bottom Water, and similar to Weddell Sea Bottom Water. Adélie Land Shelf Water, the precursor water mass for wintertime ALBW, features the least radiogenic Nd fingerprint observed around Antarctica to date (εNd = −9.9). Local geology around Antarctica is important in setting the chemical signature of individual varieties of Antarctic Bottom Water, evident from the shelf water signature, which should be considered in the absence of direct wintertime observations.

Three decades of deep water mass investigation in the Weddell Sea (1984–2014): Temporal variability and changes

The role of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) in changing the ocean circulation and controlling climate variability is widely known. However, a comprehensive understanding of the relative contribution and variability of Antarctic regional deep water mass varieties that form AABW is still lacking. Using a high-quality dataset comprising three decades of observational shipboard surveys in the Weddell Sea (1984–2014), we updated the structure, composition and hydrographic properties variability of the Weddell Sea deep-layer, and quantified the contribution of the source waters composing Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW) in its main formation zone. Shifts in WSBW hydrographic properties towards less dense varieties likely equate to less WSBW being produced over time. WSBW is primarily composed of 71 ± 4% of modified-Warm Deep Water (mWDW) and 29 ± 4% of Dense Shelf Waters, with the latter composed by ~ two-thirds (19 ± 2%) of High Salinity Shelf Water and ~ one-third (10 ± 6%) of Ice Shelf Water. Further, we show evidence that WSBW variability in the eastern Weddell Sea is driven by changes in the inflow of Dense Shelf Waters and bottom water from the Indian Sector of the Southern Ocean. This was observed through the rise of the WSBW contribution to the total mixture after 2005, following a twenty-year period (1984–2004) of decreasing contribution.

Meridional circulation across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current serves as a double 231Pa and 230Th trap

Upwelling of Circumpolar Deep Water in the Weddell Gyre and low scavenging rates south of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) cause an accumulation of particle reactive nuclides in the Weddell Gyre. A ventilation/reversible scavenging model that successfully described the accumulation of 230Th in this area was tested with other particle reactive nuclides and failed to adequately describe the depth-distributions of 231Pa and 210Pb. We present here a modified model that includes a nutrient-like accumulation south of the Antarctic Polar Front in an upper meridional circulation cell, as well as transport to a deep circulation cell in the Weddell Gyre by scavenging and subsequent release at depth. The model also explains depletion of 231Pa and 230Th in Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW) by ventilation of newly formed deep water on a timescale of 10 years, but this water mass is too dense to leave the Weddell Gyre.In order to quantify the processes responsible for the 231Pa- and 230Th-composition of newly formed Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) we present a mass balance of 231Pa and 230Th in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean based on new data from the GEOTRACES program. The ACC receives 6.0±1.5×106 dpms−1 of 230Th from the Weddell Sea, similar in magnitude to the net input of 4.2±3.0×106 dpms−1 from the north. For 231Pa, the relative contribution from the Weddell Sea is much smaller, only 0.3±0.1×106, compared to 2.7±1.4×106 dpms−1 from the north. Weddell Sea Deep Water (WSDW) leaving the Weddell Gyre northward to form AABW is exposed in the ACC to resuspended opal-rich sediments that act as efficient scavengers with a Th/Pa fractionation factor F≤1. Hydrothermal inputs may provide additional removal with low F. Scavenging in the full meridional circulation across the opal-rich ACC thus acts as a double 231Pa and 230Th trap that preconditions newly formed AABW.

Assessment of the structure and variability of Weddell Sea water masses in distinct ocean reanalysis products

Abstract. We assessed and evaluated the performance of five ocean reanalysis products in reproducing essential hydrographic properties and their associated temporal variability for the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. The products used in this assessment were ECMWF ORAS4 (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Ocean Reanalysis System 4), CFSR (Climate Forecast System Reanalysis), MyOcean UR025.4 (University of Reading), ECCO2 (Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean, Phase II) and SODA (Simple Ocean Data Assimilation). The present study focuses on the Weddell Sea deep layer, which is composed of the following three main water masses: Warm Deep Water (WDW), Weddell Sea Deep Water (WSDW) and Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW). The MyOcean UR025.4 product provided the most accurate representation of the structure and thermohaline properties of the Weddell Sea water masses when compared with observations. All the ocean reanalysis products analyzed exhibited limited capabilities in representing the surface water masses in the Weddell Sea. The CFSR and ECCO2 products were not able to represent deep water masses with a neutral density ≥ 28.40 kg m−3, which was considered the WSBW's upper limit throughout the simulation period. The expected WDW warming was only reproduced by the SODA product, whereas the ECCO2 product was able to represent the trends in the WSDW's hydrographic properties. All the assessed ocean reanalyses were able to represent the decrease in the WSBW's density, except the SODA product in the inner Weddell Sea. Improvements in parameterization may have as much impact on the reanalyses assessed as improvements in horizontal resolution primarily because the Southern Ocean lacks in situ data, and the data that are currently available are summer-biased. The choice of the reanalysis product should be made carefully, taking into account the performance, the parameters of interest, and the type of physical processes to be evaluated.

On the Seasonal Signal of the Filchner Overflow, Weddell Sea, Antarctica

Abstract The cold ice shelf water (ISW) that formed below the Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf in the southwestern Weddell Sea, Antarctica, escapes the ice shelf cavity through the Filchner Depression and spills over its sill at a rate of 1.6 Sverdrups (Sv; 1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1), thus contributing significantly to the production of Weddell Sea Bottom Water. Here, the authors examine all available observational data from the region—including five year-long time series of mooring data from the Filchner sill—to examine the seasonal variability of the outflow. The temperature of the ISW outflow is found to vary seasonally by 0.07°C with a maximum in April. The accompanying signal in salinity causes a seasonal signal in density of 0.03–0.04 kg m−3, potentially changing the penetration depth of the ISW plume by more than 500 m. Contrary to recent modeling, the observations show no seasonal variability in outflow velocity. The seasonality observed at the sill is, at least partly, due to the admixture of high-salinity shelf water from the Berkner Bank. Observations and numerical modeling suggest, however, seasonal signals in the circulation upstream (i.e., in the ice shelf cavity and in the Filchner Depression) that—although processes and linkages are unclear—are likely to contribute to the seasonal signal observed at the sill. In the plume region downstream of the sill, the source variability is apparent only within the very densest portions of the ISW plume. In the more diluted part of the plume, the source variability is overcome by the seasonality in the properties of the water entrained at the shelf break. This will have implications for the properties of the generated bottom waters.

Dissolved Fe across the Weddell Sea and Drake Passage: impact of DFe on nutrient uptake

Abstract. This manuscript reports the first full depth distributions of dissolved iron (DFe) over a high-resolution Weddell Sea and Drake Passage transect. Very low dissolved DFe concentrations (0.01–0.1 nM range) were observed in the surface waters of the Weddell Sea, and within the Drake Passage polar regime. Locally, enrichment in surface DFe was observed, likely due to recent ice melt (Weddell Sea) or dust deposition (Drake Passage). As expected, in low DFe regions, usually a small silicate drawdown compared to the nitrate drawdown was observed. However, the difference in drawdown between these nutrients appeared not related to DFe availability in the western Weddell Sea. In this region with relatively small diatoms, no relationship between N : P and N : Si removal ratios and DFe was observed. In comparison, along the Greenwich Meridian (Klunder et al., 2011a), where diatoms are significantly larger, the N : P and N : Si removal ratios did increase with increasing DFe. These findings confirm the important role of DFe in biologically mediated nutrient cycles in the Southern Ocean and imply DFe availability might play a role in shaping phytoplankton communities and constraining cell sizes. Over the shelf around the Antarctic Peninsula, higher DFe concentrations (>1.5 nM) were observed. These elevated concentrations of Fe were transported into Drake Passage along isopycnal surfaces. Near the South American continent, high (>2 nM) DFe concentrations were caused by fluvial/glacial input of DFe. On the Weddell Sea side of the Peninsula region, formation of deep water (by downslope convection) caused relatively high Fe (0.6–0.8 nM) concentrations in the bottom waters relative to the water masses at mid-depth (0.2–0.4 nM). During transit of Weddell Sea Bottom Water to the Drake Passage, through the Scotia Sea, additional DFe is taken up from seafloor sources, resulting in highest bottom water concentrations in the southernmost part of the Drake Passage in excess of 1 nM. The Weddell Sea Deep Water concentrations (∼0.32 nM) were consistent with the lowest DFe concentrations observed in Antarctic bottom water in the Atlantic Ocean.

Decline of deep and bottom water ventilation and slowing down of anthropogenic carbon storage in the Weddell Sea, 1984–2011

We use a 27 year long time series of repeated transient tracer observations to investigate the evolution of the ventilation time scales and the related content of anthropogenic carbon (Cant) in deep and bottom water in the Weddell Sea. This time series consists of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) observations from 1984 to 2008 together with first combined CFC and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) measurements from 2010/2011 along the Prime Meridian in the Antarctic Ocean and across the Weddell Sea. Applying the Transit Time Distribution (TTD) method we find that all deep water masses in the Weddell Sea have been continually growing older and getting less ventilated during the last 27 years. The decline of the ventilation rate of Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW) and Weddell Sea Deep Water (WSDW) along the Prime Meridian is in the order of 15–21%; the Warm Deep Water (WDW) ventilation rate declined much faster by 33%. About 88–94% of the age increase in WSBW near its source regions (1.8–2.4 years per year) is explained by the age increase of WDW (4.5 years per year). As a consequence of the aging, the Cant increase in the deep and bottom water formed in the Weddell Sea slowed down by 14–21% over the period of observations.

Fluxes of dissolved aluminum and manganese to the Weddell Sea and indications for manganese co‐limitation

The trace metals aluminum (Al) and manganese (Mn) were studied in the Weddell Sea in March 2008. Concentrations of dissolved Al ([Al]) were slightly elevated (0.23–0.35 nmol L−1) in the surface layer compared to the subsurface minimum (0.07–0.21 nmol L−1) observed in the winter water. Atmospheric deposition is the main source of Al to the central Weddell Sea (22 µmol m−2 yr−1), and the residence time of dissolved Al in the upper mixed layer is ∼ 0.8 yr. The flux from the shelf and slope regions equals about 50% of the atmospheric input of Al to the western Weddell Sea. The highest [Al] in the Weddell Sea bottom water (WSBW) is related to the formation of deep water, and the associated downward flux is in the range of 3–10 µmol Al m−2 yr−1. The concentrations of dissolved Mn ([Mn]) were depleted in the surface layer, likely as a result of biological uptake, as indicated by the correlation among Mn, major nutrients, and fluorescence. The significant negative relation between the ΔMn : ΔP ratio and the ambient concentration of dissolved iron indicates iron‐Mn co‐limitation. The flux of Mn from the continental margin is about 2.2 times greater than atmospheric input (1.1 µmol m−2 yr−1). The flux of both Al and Mn from the continental margin indicates melting of continental ice (icebergs) or direct continental runoff. The slightly elevated [Mn] in the WSBW is due to a relatively small flux of 1 µmol Mn m−2 yr−1 associated with WSBW formation.

On the impact of wind forcing on the seasonal variability of Weddell Sea Bottom Water transport

The seasonal variability of Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW) transport and its driving mechanisms are examined using FESOM simulations. Pronounced seasonal variability is present in both the Filchner shelf water export rate and the WSBW transport rate near the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) tip. The variabilities at both locations are linked to the surface wind forcing. The Filchner shelf water export rate responds to the onshore propagating density anomaly, which is caused by the wind‐induced variation of the isopycnal depression at the coast. The variability near the AP tip originates from upstream variations at the Filchner Depression and from seasonal variability of the Weddell gyre strength.

Direct observation of increasing CO 2 in the Weddell Gyre along the Prime Meridian during 1973–2008

The World Ocean takes up a large portion of the anthropogenic CO 2 emitted into the atmosphere. Determining the resulting increase in dissolved inorganic carbon ( C T, expressed in μmol kg −1) is challenging, particularly in the sub-surface and deep Southern Ocean where the time rate of change of C T (in μmol kg −1 decade −1) is commonly expected to be low. We present a determination of this time trend of C T in a dataset of measurements that spans 35 years comprising 10 cruises in the 1973–2008 period along the 0°-meridian in the Weddell Gyre. The inclusion of many cruises aims to generate results that are more robust than may be obtained by taking the difference between only one pair of cruises, each of which may suffer from errors in accuracy. To further improve consistency between cruises, data were adjusted in order to obtain time-invariant values of C T (and other relevant parameters) over the 35 years in the least ventilated local water body, this comprising the deeper Warm Deep Water (WDW) and upper Weddell Sea Deep Water (WSDW). It is assumed that this normalization procedure will allow trends in C T in the more intensely ventilated water masses to be more clearly observed. Time trends were determined directly in measurements of C T, and alternatively in back-calculated values of preformed C T ( C T 0; i.e., the C T of the water at the time that it lost contact with the atmosphere). The determined time trends may be attributed to a combination of natural variability (in hydrography or biogeochemistry) and increased uptake of anthropogenic CO 2 from the atmosphere. In order to separate these natural and anthropogenic components, an analysis of the residuals of a multivariate linear regression (MLR), involving the complete time series of all 10 cruises, was additionally performed. This approach is referred to as the Time Series Residuals (TSR) approach. Using the direct method, the time trends of C T in the WSDW are quite small and non-significant at +0.176±0.321 μmol kg −1 decade −1. On the other hand, the measured concentration of C T in the Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW) is shown to rise slowly but significantly over the period from 1973 to 2008 at a rate of +1.151±0.563 μmol kg −1 decade −1. The spatial distribution of these determined increases of C T in the deep Weddell Gyre closely resembles that of the increase of the anthropogenic tracer CFC-12, this strong similarity supporting a mostly anthropogenic cause for the increasing trend of C T. Time trends in back-calculated values of C T 0 appear to be obscured due to uncertainties in the measurements of O 2. Finally, the shallow waters (<200 m depth) do not allow for interpretation since these are strongly affected by seasonality. Due to the small time trend signal in the WSBW, the TSR approach does not allow for unambiguous attribution of the observed trend in C T in the WSBW. The residuals of the TSR method do exhibit a time trend (considered representative of the time trend of C ant) of +0.445±0.405 μmol kg −1 decade −1 (i.e., only 38% of the direct observed time trend in C T) thus only partly supporting the attribution of the measured time trend of C T to uptake of anthropogenic CO 2. Another TSR-derived result suggests that there is no significant time trend of biogeochemical changes. A time trend in hydrography of mixing between two deep water masses does exist, as evidenced by a slight positive time trend in the temperature of the WSBW, but is inadequate to explain the time trend of C T. After all, the time trend in measured C T is most straightforwardly ascribed entirely to uptake of C ant, and assuming an exponentially growing history of storage, the observed increase of C T in the WSBW suggests that a total amount of C ant of 6±3 μmol kg −1 has accumulated in this water mass between the onset of the Industrial Revolution and 1995. Extrapolating the determined time trend, the rate of storage of C ant in the deep Weddell Gyre (>3000 m, west of 20°E) is calculated to be about 12±6 TgC yr −1 over the 1973–2008 period. This rate of storage is likely somewhat lower than the rate of export of C ant from the surface water into the deep Weddell Gyre, this due to continuous loss of C ant with WSDW flowing out of the Weddell Gyre into the deep basins of the other oceans as AABW.

Climate impact on interannual variability of Weddell Sea Bottom Water

[1] Bottom water formed in the Weddell Sea plays a significant role in ventilating the global abyssal ocean, forming a central component of the global overturning circulation. To place Weddell Sea Bottom Water in the context of larger scale climate fluctuations, we analyze the temporal variability of an 8‐year (April 1999 through January 2007) time series of bottom water temperature relative to the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Southern Annular Mode (SAM), and Antarctic Dipole (ADP). In addition to a pronounced seasonal cycle, the temperature record reveals clear interannual variability with anomalously cold pulses in 1999 and 2002 and no cold event in 2000. Correlations of the time series with ENSO, SAM, and ADP indices peak with the indices leading by 14–20 months. Secondary weaker correlations with the SAM index exist at 1–6 month lead time. A multivariate EOF analysis of surface variables shows that the leading mode represents characteristic traits of out‐of‐phase SAM and ENSO impact patterns and is well separated from other modes in terms of variance explained. The leading principal component correlates with the bottom water temperature at similar time scales as did the climate indices, implying impact from large‐scale climate. Two physical mechanisms could link the climate forcing to the bottom water variability. First, anomalous winds may alter production of dense shelf water by modulating open‐water area over the shelf. Second, surface winds may alter the volume of dense water exported from the shelf by governing the Weddell Gyre’s cyclonic vigor.

Dissolved aluminium in the Southern Ocean

Dissolved aluminium (Al) occurs in a wide range of concentrations in the world oceans. The concentrations of Al in the Southern Ocean are among the lowest ever observed. An all-titanium CTD sampling system makes it possible to study complete deep ocean sections of Al and other trace elements with the same high vertical resolution of 24 depths as normal for traditional CTD/Rosette sampling. Overall, 470 new data points of Al are reported for 22 full depth stations and 24 surface sampling positions along one transect. This transect consisted of 18 stations on the zero meridian proper from 51°57′ S until 69°24′S, and 4 stations somewhat to the northeast towards Cape Town from 42°20′S, 09°E to 50°17′S, 01°27′E. The actual concentrations of Al in the Southern Ocean were lower than previously reported. The concentration of Al in the upper 25 m was relatively elevated with an average concentration of 0.71 nM ( n=22; S.D.=0.43 nM), most likely due to atmospheric input by a suggested combination of direct atmospheric (wet and dry) input and indirect atmospheric input via melting sea ice. Below the surface waters there was a distinct Al minimum with an average concentration of 0.33 nM ( n=22; S.D.=0.13 nM) at an average depth of 120 m. In the deep southernmost Weddell Basin the concentration of Al increased with depth to ∼0.8 nM at 4000 m, and a higher concentration of ∼1.5 nM in the ∼4500–5200 m deep Weddell Sea Bottom Water. Over the Bouvet triple junction region, where three deep ocean ridges meet, the concentration of Al increased to ∼1.4 nM at about 2000 m depth over the ridge crest. In the deep basin north of the Bouvet region the concentration of Al increased to higher deep values of 4–6 nM due to influence of North Atlantic Deep Water. In general the intermediate and deep distribution of Al results from the mixing of water masses with different origins, the formation of deep water and additional input from sedimentary sources at sea floor elevations. No significant correlation between Al and silicate (Si) was observed. This is in contrast to some other ocean regions. In the Southern Ocean the supply of Al is extremely low and any signal from Al uptake and dissolution with biogenic silica is undetectable against the high dissolved Si and low dissolved Al concentrations. Here the Al–Si relation in the deep ocean is uncoupled. This is due to the scavenging and subsequent loss of the water column of Al, whereas the concentration of Si increases in the deep ocean due to its input from deep dissolution of biogenic diatom frustules settling from the surface layer.

Distribution of iodide and iodate in the Atlantic sector of the southern ocean during austral summer

The biogeochemistry of iodine in the waters of the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean was investigated during the Polarstern cruise ANTXXIV-3 ZERO&DRAKE. The speciation and distribution of iodine (iodate and iodide) in seawater was examined across gradients of iron concentrations and phytoplankton abundance, ranging from an open ocean region along the Zero Meridian to the Weddell Sea and Drake Passage. Iodine cycling in high latitudes differs from that in low latitudes due to differences in the plankton community composition and the physicochemical characteristics. Iodate concentrations ranged between 400 and 450 nmol L −1 from the surface to the bottom. Surface concentrations of iodide (17 to over 60 nmol L −1) were about an order of magnitude higher than below the pycnocline. The peak values of iodide lay nearly always within the euphotic zone and showed a weak, positive correlation with nitrite concentrations in the upper 200 m. In all vertical profiles a pronounced sub-surface maximum in iodide appears between 50 and 200 m depth indicating an iodide drawdown at the near surface. Iodide distribution in the Weddell Sea showed elevated levels in Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW) indicating slow oxidation kinetics and the potential for iodide as a tracer of WSBW formation.